Flexible operating mechanism



P. L. BILLINGSLEY. FL EXIBLE OPERATING MECHANISM.

v APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1919- 1,395,626. Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

58 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

El In I! I I I w M H W umreo sures PERCY L'BILLINGSLEY, 0F ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

' FLEXIBLE OPERATING MECHANISM.

Specification orLetm-s Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application filed September 29, 1919 Serial No. 327,276.

To all whom it may concern: V

Be it known that I, Pnnox L. Bmm smr, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residin .at Orlando, in the county of Orange and tate of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Operating Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in'the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame The present invention relates to a flexible operating mechanism, such as can be used for operating grinding wheels, drills, and other tools, or implements, and it i theob ject of the invention to provide such a mechanism having a combination and relation of the component parts which enables the tool or'implement being driven to be moved to various positions, and angles, with a high degree'of flexibility ande fliciency, in order that the tool or implement can be applied to the work under practically all conditions and requirements.

The present mechanism is intendedparticularly for use in the work shop, factory, or the like, for the purpose of operating a grinding wheel, drill or other implement,

and permitting it to be manipulated so as to operate onthe work, and also providing for the application of the implement to the work in various positions, and under various conditions.

A further object is the provision of such a mechanism of ahang'er or arm suspended from or extending from a driving device, and carrying the arbor or, shaft which drives the tool or implement, in combination with a flat belt connecting the driving device and arbor, said hanger or arm being flexible so that said arbor can be brought to practically all positions and angles with in the range of movement thereof, and the hanger or arm also having means for guiding'the belt, so that it will properly transmit the power under all conditions.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which'will be apparentas the descrip:

tion proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described andclaimed, it being understood that changes canbe made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 'is a side elevation of the mechanism portions being broken away.

F ig. 2 i a front view showing the hanger or arm. 7

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the swivel and expansion joint of said hanger or arm.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a suitable frame 1, which can be supported on casters 2 to be moved about, or which can be supported on a turn table or the like. This frame 1 has bearing 3 at its upper end in which a driving shaft 4 is journaled in a horizontal position, and a pulley wheel 5 secured on said shaft is connected by a belt 6 with the driving pulley 7 of an electric motor 8 or other prime mover carried by the frame. As shown, said motor is secured on a platform 9 of the frame.

Mounted on the supporting frame is a swinging frame comprising the parallel rocking beams 10 having bearings 11 between their ends embracing the shaft 4, whereby the beams 10 can swin about the horizontal axis of the shaft 4. bearings 12 are mounted on the beams 10 near one end thereof, and have a countershaft 13 journaled therein parallel with the shaft 4, and a stepped pulley 14 is secured on the shaft 13 and is connected by a belt 15 with a similar pulley 16 secured on the shaft 4, thus providing for the change in speed ratios between said shafts, the countershaft 13 being driven from the shaft 4, and being capable of vertical movement with the beams 10 around the axis of the shaft 4.

Suspended or extending from the counter- .shaft 13 is a flexible hanger or arm 17, which has a yoke 18 at its upper end provided with bearings 19 at its ends embracing said shaft 13, whereby said yoke can swing around the axis of said shaft, thereby enabling the arm 17 to be swung forwardly and rearwardly,

' as well as being capable of verticalmovement with the shaft 13. The arm 17 includes an upper section 20 having an end piece 21 pivoted, as at 22, within the yoke 18, so that said section 20 can swing in a plane in which the axis of the shaft 13 and the yoke 18 are disposed. A second section 23 of the arm in alinementwith the section 20 has an end piece 24 at that end opposite the end piece 21, and the end piece 24 is pivoted, as at 25, within a yoke 26, whereby said section 23 and yoke 26 can swing relatively in a plane in which the axis of the section 23 is disposed. The two sections and 23 are tubular and are connected by a swivel expansion joint. Thus, a rod 27 ex tends within the adjacent end portions of said tubular sections, and has a collar 28 abutting the end of the section 23, and a swivel nut 29 is threaded onto the end of the. section 23 around the collar 28, and has an inturn ed flange 30.0verlapping said collar to provide a swivel connection between said rod and section 23. A lock nut 31 is threaded on the section 23 and bears against 7 the nut 29 to prevent loosening thereof,

and a nut 32 is threaded on the rod 27 adjacent to the nut 29. A pin extending through the rod 27 works wlthin longitudinal slot 34 in the tubular section 20, thereby enabling the two sections to move toward and away from one another for shortening or lengthening the hanger or arm to compensate for changes in the position of the belt as is hereinafter more fully pointed out.

; coiled expansion spring 35 surrounds the rod 27 and is confined between the two sections 20 and 23, whereby to separate them andthus have a tendency to elongate the hanger or arm to keep the belt taut. :This joint therefore enables the section 23 and yoke :26. to be rotated aboutthe axis of the sections 20 and 23 of-the hanger or arm, and

the spring enables the hanger or arm to ad.

just itself lengthwise to keep the belt tight. The implement or tool to be operated 1s carried by the yoke 26, which has slotted end portions in which bearings 36 are mounted for adjustment in any suitable.

manner, and an arbor or shaft 37 is journaled in said bearings at right angles with the axis of the pivot 25, and in a common plane with the section 23 The tool or implements are carried by said shaft. in'any sultable manner, and, as shown, a grinding wheel 38 c isse'cured on the arbor within theyoke, and

a second cup-shaped grinding wheel 39 is secured to one'end of the arbor 37. Drills or other implements can also be applied to the arbor for doing the particular work at ;hand, and handles 40 are detachably secured handles.

, applied in the different positions for the 0011- venient manipulation of the yoke 26. The.

to the yoke 26 for manipulating the implements. These handles can be applied to the,

yoke as shown, or to the sides thereof which have sockets 41 for the attachment of the In this way, the handles can be arbor or shaft 37 is driven from the countershaft 13, and for this purpose, a pulley 42' is secured on the arbor 37 within the yoke 26, and a pulley 43 is secured on the shaft.

site sides of the hanger or arm, and the runs of the belt, instead of being in parallel planes, are turned at right angles so as to be in 'a common plane. Thus, a pair of guide rollers 45 is carried by each side of the yoke 26 at the opposite sides of the axis of the pivot 25, and-a similar pair of guide rollers 46 is carried by each side of the yoke 18 at the opposite sides of the axis of the pivot 22. These rollers 45 and 46' guide the belt for movement in planes in which the axes of the pivots 25 and 22 are disposed, and the belt is twisted between pulley 42 and rollers 45, and between the pulley 43 and rollers 46. Said rollers are disposed to guide the belt in planes coinciding with the axes of the pivots 22 and 25 across the opposite ends of said pivots, so that the tubular sections of The hanger or arm is counter-balanced by r a hanger 47 suspended from the beams 10 at that end opposite to the hangeror arm 17, and weights48 arecarried by the hanger or rod 47 to provide the counter poise. Thus. the arm 17 can be easily.raisedand lowered with little effort.

In operation, the greatv latitude of flexibility of the mechanism enables the tool or implement to be applied to the work in practically all positions, so that the mechanism willconform to various requirements and conditions, There are five distinct adjustments, which can be made either individuallyor jointly with one another that will enable the tool or implement to be manipulated in a great many ways that will be sulficient for practically all needs. First, the yoke 26 ,which carries the tool or'implement; can be shaft 4. It isr thus an easy matterto raise and lowerthe implement with the shaft l3, to swing the 'hanger'or; arm forwardly and backwardly, around thefshaft 13, to swing the'arm or hanger sidewise about the pivot 21,-and to swing and turn the yoke 26. As

a result theitoolor implement can be ma- V I 1,395,626 a 3 nipulated conveniently, and by the use of the flat belts, the implement will be driven with sufficient power.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. An operating mechanism including a yoke having bearings, a shaft journaled in said bearings, an arm member, a pivot connecting one end of said member and yoke, the axis of said pivot and the axis of the shaft being at an angle with one another, a

pulley on said shaft, a fiat belt passing around said pulley and having opposite runs extending along said member, and guide rollers carried by the yoke at opposite sides of the axis of said pivot for guiding both runs of the belt between them in the plane of the axis of said pivot to bend substan tially in said axis.

2. An operating mechanism including a shaft, a member mounted on said shaft to turn about the axis thereof, a second member, an arbor mounted in said second memher for operating a tool, pulleys on said arbor and shaft, means between said members spacing them apart, pivots connecting the ends of said means to said members at an angle with said shaft and arbor, respectively, a flat belt passing around said pulleys' and having opposite runs extending alongsaid means, and means for guiding both runs of said belt past said pivots in the planes of the axes thereof and permitting both runs of the belt to bend at said pivots substantially in said axes.

3. An operating mechanism including a shaft, an arm having a yoke at each end, one yoke having bearings engaging said shaft, pivots connecting said yokes to that portion of the arm between them, an arbor mounted in the other yoke, the axes of said pivots being at an angle with the shaft and arbor, respectively, pulleys on said shaft and arbor, a flat belt passing around said pulleys, and guide rollers carried by said yokes at the .opposite sides of the axes of said pivots for guiding both runs of said belt in the planes of said axes to bend substantially in said axes.

4. An operating mechanism including a shaft, means for mounting said shaft and driving same, a yoke engaging said shaft for swinging movement, a second yoke, a pair of alining arm sections, pivots connecting the opposite ends of said sections to said yokes, means connecting the adjacent ends of said sections to permit them to turn about their axis relatively to one another, and to yieldingly separate said sections, an arbor mounted in the second yoke, said pivots having their axes arranged at an angle with said shaft and arbor, respectively, pulleys on said shaft and arbor, a flat belt passing around said pulleys, and guide rollers carried by the yokes and at opposite sides of the axes of said pivots for guiding both runs of said belt in the planes of said axes to bend substantially in said axes.

An operating mechanism comprising a shaft, an arm having one end connected with said shaft, an arbor carried by said arm near the other end thereof, pulleys on said arbor and shaft, 2 flat belt passing around said pulleys and having opposite runs extending. along said arm, said arms having parts connected by a pivot so that they can swing relatively, said arm also having a swivel expansion joint for keeping the belt taut, and permitting the arbor to be turned about the axis of said arm, and means carried by the arm for guiding both runs of the belt past said pivot in the plane of the axis thereof to bend substantially in said axis.

6. An operating mechanism including a shaft, a flexible arm connected at one end with said shaft and having joints with transverse pivots, an arbor carried by the arm near its other end, pulleys on said shaft and arbor, a belt passing around said pulleys and longitudinally along opposite sides of said arm, and means carried by said arm for guiding both runs of said belt past the oppositeends of said pivots in planes in which the axes of said pivots are disposed, so that said runs of the belt bend substantially the same as the arm in the axes of said pivots.

7. An operating mechanism including a pair of members, a pivot connecting them, a shaft rotatable in one member, a pulley on the shaft, a belt passing around said pulley and having runs extending along the other member at opposite sides thereof, and means for guiding said runs of the belt to pass the opposite ends of said pivot in the axis thereof, to bend on a line substantially coinciding said axis.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PERCY L. BILLING-SLEY. lVitnesses H. A. PARKER, Orrs STEVENS. 

